The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for slicing bacon and arranging the slices in shingled form with controlled weight. Apparatus of this type is being marketed by Cashin Systems Corp., Williston Park, New York, and is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,903,032 granted Sept. 8, 1959; 2,969,099 granted Jan. 24, 1961; 3,027,924 granted Apr. 3, 1962; 3,846,957 granted Nov. 12, 1974; and 3,846,958 granted Nov. 12, 1974. While this apparatus has proven to be eminently satisfactory, it is desirable to upgrade its operation and efficiency in an effort to further reduce give-away weights of bacon being sliced and minimize the time attendant personnel are required to expend in making proper weights of drafts not within the prescribed weight tolerances.
Heretofore, it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,379,233 and 3,379,234 to upgrade the yield of a bacon slicing line by providing a system in which the product feed was stopped at some weight less than the final desired or target weight of the bacon draft or group weight. An error voltage was derived proportional to the amount of product required to meet the target weight and a second feeding cycle was initiated for a prescribed time period required to add the calculated amount of product.
Although this prior art system offered advantages, there nevertheless remained a need to further improve the pass percentage of bacon drafts falling within prescribed weight tolerances and consequently reduce labor costs in correcting weights outside of these tolerances.